The present invention relates to a furniture assembly which is adaptable to furniture in general and specifically to ready-to-assemble furniture.
In many types of furniture assemblies and in particular ready-to-assemble furniture, when two perpendicular components are joined together, this is often done by using 90.degree. brackets. Often these brackets are metal brackets having perpendicular legs, each of which define an opening. Fasteners, such as screws, are then used to connect the brackets to the furniture components to join the furniture components together. However, in ready-to-assembly furniture, the screw holes must be defined. Often holes are drilled by the manufacturer at pre-arranged locations along the edge of the individual furniture components. This results in considerable labor and the need for relatively careful positioning. If the holes are drilled incorrectly, the consumer has difficulty in assembling the furniture components because of the misalignment of the individual holes.
In addition, the prior art metal brackets or clips can sometimes be bent if a force is placed on one of the furniture components. This leaves a joint which is either misaligned or includes an unsightly gap.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a furniture assembly in which an alignment groove is defined in one of the furniture components. The alignment groove is used as a pilot hole for fasteners, such as screws, during assembly.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a furniture assembly having a bracket which has sufficient strength and which includes a depending projection which may be positioned in the alignment groove to ensure a correct alignment of the components.